Social Farming Budget 2025

At a Social Farming Ireland Open Day on Donohue’s Fearnóg Farm near Mountrath, Co Laois, July 2023.

This morning, as part of Budget 2025, I was delighted to announce additional funding of €500,000 for the Rural Innovation Development Fund, confirming that the majority of this will go towards social farming, a unique programme which offers people who are socially, physically, mentally or intellectually disadvantaged the opportunity to spend time on a family farm.

Initially launched to cater for just over 100 participants on seven farms, the Social Farming Ireland Programme now has close to 1000 users visiting roughly 150 farms, with many more in the pipeline.

I first encountered the social farming approach in 2021 and I have been an advocate ever since. I cannot speak highly enough of the social farming movement and the wonderful people I’ve met right across the country who participate in it; it is one of the great positive news stories of Irish agriculture and I am delighted to have secured this additional funding, which is approximately double the existing budget of Social Farming Ireland.

Of Offaly interest: There are five farms across Offaly that engage in the project, with one each in Daingean, Killeigh, Birr, Fivealley and Killyon.

In welcoming today’s announcement, National Social Farming Co-ordinator Helen Doherty explained what this additional funding will mean for those involved:

“This is a national project that has grown from strength to strength and is securing amazing outcomes for users, and Minister Hackett has seen firsthand the benefits there are for users” said Ms. Doherty.

“We liaise with disability, social care and mental health services, our farms are used by those battling addiction and by refugees and asylum seekers, the spectrum is incredibly broad. For some, success simply means turning up, as these people might not engage with any other programmes. For others, their engagement in social farming is a step towards further work or training programmes”.

“The support we’ve received from Minister Hackett has always been both heartfelt and wholehearted, and the additional funding she has helped us secure today will allow us to continue to grow and develop, in order to meet the expanding demand that is out there”.